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'IO ALL WI-IOM IT MAY `CONCERN:-

Be it known that I, I-I. B. VAN VOORHIS, .of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement on Gates; and I hereby declarethat thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof', reference being had'tof-the annexed drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, in whiich- Figure 1 is a perspective view.

` Figure' 2 is a plan of the slotted lever, plate, and gate-post.

The nature of my invention consists'in providing gates with levers arrangedfso that the driver of a vehicle or an equestrian may open and shut the gate without being put to the disagreeable necessity and. inconvenience of alighting in wet and muddy weather when riding or driving a. restive or unmangeable horse.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. i

I construct the gate in any of the usual forms; but instead of an upper hinge I substitute the following devices: The plate A, provided with the diagonal slot m, is fastened firmly to the topof the gate-post O. Working upon this plate, upon the fulcrutn C, is the lever B, provided with a slot, ln. In theupper end of the gate-frame P there is inserted a pin, D, which passes through both the slots m and n in the plate A and lever B. To the lever B are fastened the rods E E E E, which are'attached to the hand-levers F and G, placed conveniently for the driver of a vehicle or a horseman to reach, which vibra-te on the bolts H and I, and upon being actuated upon by the projecting handles, turn the slotted lever B upon the plate A, which draws the top end of the frame P both backward toward the post O and forward in the direction in which the gate opens to the position shown in red outline in iig. 2. Thepin D being thus drawn through the diagonal slot in the plate A by the lever B, the latch edge of the gate is elevated' far enough to release the latch K from the catch L, and the gate at the same time being thrown out' of perpendicular, it swings back by the force of gravity -until the latch K catches on thecatches N in the post M, when it is held in an open position until one of the levers F or G is again actuated, when the reverse oi' the movements just described takes place, and the gate is, by the same law of gravity, caused to close and latch itself.

This gate is equally convenient for pedestrians or riders, as it can be opened and shut in the usual manner,

as well as by the hand-levers just described. It is simple in its operation and construction, and this improvement canibe made and applied to almost any gate at amoderate cost by any ordinary mechanic. Itis notaifected either by frost or snow, all the working parts being above ground.

Y Having now described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combinationof the slotted plate A, slotted lever B, and pin C, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of these devices with the catches L and N, as and for the purpose set forth.

H. B. VAN VOORHIS.,

Witnesses:

A. S. NICHOLSON, W. A. lPaxrolr. 

